Fresh off that success, the Association of Ringside Physicians is now setting its sights on another controversial facet of professional fighting that is just as damaging to athletes’ health as PED use — improper weight cutting. Check out the ARP’s new statement on weight management below, which summarizes the health risks associated with significant and repeated weight cuts, and suggests how the situation can be improved.

The Association of Ringside Physicians (ARP), an international, non-profit organization dedicated to the health and safety of the boxer and mixed martial arts athlete, has released a consensus statement on weight management in professional combat sports as follows:

IntroductionUnhealthy and sometimes dangerous weight loss practices continue to be a significant problem in amateur and professional combat sports. The ARP recommends that regulatory bodies adopt standardized weigh-in policies in conjunction with year-round weight management and educational programs.

Discussion
There is a growing body of information in the medical literature that presents unequivocal evidence of the danger of excessive weight loss, rapid weight loss, and repeated cycling of weight gain and loss. Rapid weight loss and dehydration have been proven to negatively affect a number of health-related parameters including…

In the above video, Akano’s trainer, Josh Barnett, talks with Ariel Helwani about his Girlfight Monstrosity of a student, and about his own future. On Aleks Emelianenko, Barnett again confirms that due to blood test-related issues, that fight could never happen…in a ring.

(Yeah, it’s a nice shirt, but you know what? I’m just going to wait until it’s selling for three dollars at T.J. Maxx.)

On Strikeforce’s media conference call today Frank Shamrock confirmed that he would indeed be fighting Nick Diaz on April 11, and at a catch-weight of 179 pounds. One can’t help but imagine the fierce negotiations that landed them at that awkward figure, but one can imagine that Frank and Nick both acted totally sweet during said negotiations, refusing to meet at a round number.

Of Diaz, Shamrock said, “"He’s a guy who throws and talks trash. And on April 11 I’m going to knock him out."

That’s pretty much a compliment from Shamrock. He also said he’d like to fight more often than the once or twice a year plan he’s been on lately, and of course he also beat the old ‘I want to fight my brother’ drum yet again.

Every time Gina Carano fights we always hear the same question: will she make weight? Since the answer she gives is always the same, even when it turns out not to be true, people have turned to asking what she weighs at the present moment. Carano sounds like she’s tired of all weight-related queries, and had this to say to AOL Fanhouse:

“I’m going to weigh 140 pounds next Friday. How much I weigh right now I’d rather keep to myself because I don’t want to answer any more questions about it. …I’ve got really high expectations for this weigh-in.”

Two things here:

1) I completely understand why Carano would be sick of that question. I also think she’s smart enough to know why she keeps hearing it and how she can make it stop.

2) She’s got high expectations? For a weigh-in? That’s a phrase you usually hear from NFL coaches before the season or defense attorneys who know their clients are probably guilty. The weigh-in should be a sure thing. It’s just getting up on a scale, which you get plenty of chances to do beforehand.

Carano did say she’s hired a nutritionist for this bout, so maybe that means there won’t be any issues. If there are, I seem to remember doing an interview on MMA Rated radio with Kelly Kobald, who hinted at a contingency plan she had in the event that Carano missed weight. On a related note, Kobald admitted to weighing 160 as of today — twenty pounds from the goal weight. She’s either really confident she can shed that by next Friday, or else, like me, she has a weakness for hot wings.

Remember last season of The Ultimate Fighter when they had 32 guys immediately fight for 16 spots in the house, and advised everyone not to come in more than five pounds over? Well, Jason Guida doesn’t; like, at all. The Chicago-based fighter — who’s better known as the older brother of UFC lightweight gatekeeper Clay Guida — arrived heavy at the first day of filming, and was unable to cut down to the 205-pound limit for his elimination fight. According to MMA Rated:

One source told us that he thought Guida’s inability to cut the weight would be used to add some drama to an early episode, comparing it to Gabe Rudiger’s unflattering exit when he was unable to make weight during TUF 5.

Not sure if this makes Guida a pussy or a poser, but either way, he’s gone. And it’s a shame because a stint on TUF could have helped turn his fortunes around. Guida carries a 17-17 record and has bounced around a number of regional promotions in his five-year career; he had his most high-profile bout to date at Adrenaline MMA 1 in June, where he was submitted in the first round by heavyweight Mike Russow. (Fun fact: Guida went 0-5 with two no-contests in his first seven pro bouts, so he’s nothing if not persistent.) No word yet on who, if anyone, replaced Guida in his TUF entrance fight.

It’s at least two fights overdue, but Jason Lambert is finally doing the right thing and dropping to 185 pounds for his next fight, which will take place at UFC 88 (September 6th, Atlanta) against Jason “Dooms” Day. Though he holds impressive wins against Terry Martin, Matt Horwich, Renato “Babalu” Sobral, and Dan Quinn, “The Punisher” has had it rough lately, suffering three KO/TKO losses in his last four fights; he was most recently outslugged by Luis Arthur Cane at UFC 85 in June. It seems likely that the drop to middleweight was a direct order from the UFC, and if he can’t make it happen at the lower weight, he’ll probably be kissing his contract goodbye. The situation is nearly as desperate for Day, who needs a solid win to prove himself after getting steamrolled by Michael Bisping, also at UFC 85.

Lambert’s interesting physique contributed to my most recent Rule of Fight Prediction: If there’s a flabby-looking guy fighting a jacked-looking guy, bet against the chubbo. Had I known this before UFC 85, I wouldn’t have thrown down on Lambert and Eddie Sanchez, and maybe I wouldn’t have had to spend an evening wearing a plastic tank top. (Note: the No Fatties Rule is often trumped by the Nelson Exception.)

(Hey, she could be a lightweight and we’d still love her. Welterweight would be pushing it. Photo taken by Esther Lin for EliteXC; props to Fightlinker.)

Weigh-ins for tomorrow’s EliteXC “Saturday Night Fights” event were held today in Newark, and all fighters weighed-in successfully — meaning that all fighters succeeded in finding the scale and stepping on it. If you’re wondering whether all fighters came in at their assigned weight limits, well, that’s another story.

In what’s now a recurring theme in her career, Gina Carano missed her 140-pound limit by a wide margin, hitting the scale at 144.5, which is about what Urijah Faber and Jens Pulver will weigh when they check in for Sunday’s WEC show. As MMAMania reports:

Normally, she would have one hour to lose 3.5 pounds; however, MMAmania.com learned from Nick Lembo, the New Jersey Athletic Control Board (NJACB) Deputy Attorney, that the regulatory body didn’t want her to cut any more weight at that time.

Therefore, prior to the official weigh-ins, a deal was struck between the Carano and Young camps that the fight would go on and “Conviction” would surrender a 12.5 percent purse penalty.

An embarrassing moment for Carano, to be sure. But on the bright side, Kaitlin Young will probably be able to afford that Jeep Wrangler now. The full weigh-in results are as follows:

Near07 Says:
March 28th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
I am talking to Gary and he claims that this article is bogus, and he is indeed fighting butterbean in Yamma!! Not sure who puts thes up, but it should be scraped!! Thanks

Near07 Says:
March 28th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Gary just sent this to me 2 minutes ago
“Just post on it, that you talked to me and I told you it was all bogus and I already talk to Bob M Yesterday being Thursday. We got everything straight. I have but one Manger and it is not Dave Wallis”

Da Freak Says:
March 28th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Hey gang ,
I have no idea where this BS came from, but I am Gary’s training partner and we are in full training camp mode for Butterbean.
GARY WILL BE THERE AND WILL KICK SOME UGLY ASS
Fredd

As with everything posted by blog commenters, everything related to YAMMA Pit Fighting, and pretty much everything posted on this site, take the above with a nice-sized chunk of rock-salt.